APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BLASTED FOR USING STUDENT PAPER TO LOBBY AND PROMOTE THEIR WIND ENERGY AGENDA AND FOR BRAINWASHING STUDENTS ABOUT ASU’S POLITICAL AGENDA, and LIES ABOUT CURRENT WIND ENERGY DEBATE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Dear Dr. Peacock and staff,

As my respect for Appalachian State University, the University where my Dad taught for over 20 years, continues to plummet, I am amazed as to the level you will reduce yourself in the promotion of your political agenda in support of commercial wind power in the NC Mountains. You continue to promote weakening of the 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act, a law that Hugh Morton saw to fruition and a law my Dad supported whole heartedly. I am sad that these wonderful men are not here to tell you how angry they would be with your attempts to destroy the beautiful ridgelines that are a gift to ASU from the community that has supported you over the years. I met Hugh through my Dad and he was a man of incredible vision and integrity. I have many fond, fond memories of their conversations. They were truly men of passion. I have my father’s gift of passion and I am his legacy.

I am here and I will continue my father’s work to protect the ridgelines and the wild areas of the Appalachian Mountains from those of you who have forgotten the work and vision of the people who came before you. I, and others, have pointed out numerous incidents of lobbying by ASU professors and you have fully supported their actions. Now you are using your student newspaper to brainwash the students and provide misinformation. You are allowing Dr. Scanlin to continue his lobbying efforts through this paper. It is sad that the writer, Rachel Dinkin a senior, has learned nothing about journalism during her time at ASU. This is a biased article that only reflects one view of a difficult issue and this is journalism at its worst. But more than that, the title “NC Senate Reviews Wind Energy Ban” is an out and out lie. The Senate did not ban wind and you and your university need to get that right. The Senate allowed “wind permitting” to allow residential wind turbines. It is an insult to the Senators of this state for you to continue to state that they banned wind. I am sorry that their “wind Permitting” does not provide enough financial boom to some of your departments, but to those of us who love these old mountains, we are happy with their decision and we will work as hard as we can to see that their decision stands.

Why have you hidden grants from Acciona, the wind industry giant that wants to place wind turbines in Mitchell County? Dennis Scanlin has repeatedly been asked if he or ASU have received any funding or grants or money of any kind from the wind industry and he always lies. He had repeatedly said no. You did receive money from the wind industry. Somehow those grants did not go through the news bureau of ASU and were not published to the public in the same manner as other grants. Why did you hide them?

Surely you are aware that there are groups on a national level that review every article written about wind energy. This biased article has appeared on Wind Watch, and Wind Action. I have worked to point out the biased, political view presented in this article, on the same national level, and it has not been good for Appalachian State or your non-profit, Appalachian Voices. There are many parents who are concerned about how their children are being brainwashed into believing your political agenda. You are truly relentless, but using the student newspaper represents an all time low. Please know that I will be sending a copy of the article and my letter to you to each and every Senator that worked this summer to NOT ban wind.

It was Hugh Morton’s vision to protect these mountains and you know that. You may forget people like Hugh and my Dad, but I will not, and those who go with me will not. We will fight you every step of the way. I no longer tell anyone that I attended ASU, taking undergraduate classes and a graduate class. I thank God that my degrees are from other universities. Appalachian State is truly not deserving of having the word Appalachian in its name.

COMMUNITY

Thursday, 21 January 2010 14:01

The North Carolina House continues to consider a bill that would ban all commercial-sized wind turbines in Western North Carolina.

Introduced in March 2009, Senate Bill 1068 and House Bill 809 were originally designed to set up a statewide permit process for the construction of wind turbines in Western North Carolina.

However, some N.C. senators debated the aesthetics of commercial-sized wind turbines and agreed on a statewide ban.

After a failed attempt by N.C. Sen. Steve Goss to revert the bills back to their original intent, the long-session legislation was completed in July 2009.Austin Hall, North Carolina field adviser for Appalachian Voices said these bills stem from the Mountain Ridge Protection Act passed by the N.C. General Assembly in 1983.

The Mountain Ridge Protection Act made it illegal for tall structures to be constructed on ridges over 3,000 feet, with the exception of wind turbines.

Hall said N.C. Sen. Martin Nesbitt took away the exemption, pushing for an overall ban on wind turbines in Western North Carolina.

If the bills were to pass, only wind turbines less than 100 feet high and connected only to one home would be allowed, according to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Web site.

“I think we ought to allow individuals to apply for a permit and trust our elected officials and state scientists to make good decisions about whether or not a permit would be issued,” technology professor Dennis M. Scanlin said, who is in charge of wind research at Appalachian State University.

Though the Broyhill Wind Turbine at Appalachian will not be affected by these bills because it was not constructed on a ridge over 3,000 feet high, the Renewable Energy Initiative on campus is still fighting to ensure a clean energy future for North Carolina.

“REI fears that these bills will inhibit wind energy from becoming a fully utilized renewable resource here in the High Country, which is a shame considering we have some of the most significant wind potential in the state,” Rio W. Tazewell, committee chair of Appalachian’s Renewable Energy Initiative said.

Tazewell is also a senior sustainable development and political science major.

Tazewell said Boone sets a precedent for other areas around the state and in the country, so it is important to continue advocacy for clean energy.

The bills are currently in short-session legislation and will be brought up for consideration again in May.